No Other Gods Before Me (Exodus 19- 20:1-3)

Thanks for the Jason. When you have an hour long message, you're really aware of the time. Just kidding. I will this morning. We're going to look at the Exodus chapter 19 and if you using the few Bible Exodus 19 is 5 / 63. We're living in a world today, we're right, and wrong, as we knew it growing up, is very different. For a good number of us in this room this morning. As a matter of fact, it doesn't seem to be any absolute standards of, right, and wrong. When it comes to personal choices or ethics. It's it's every man and woman for themselves, and we just make decisions and choices as we go along, without regard to the consequences and what people think they're labeled as the bad guys are haters by those, who choose to live in sin or make simple and immoral choices. After all the world planes are bodies of Our Lives as the freedoms that we have, to do whatever we want. And God will accept you for who you are. Way back in 1999. There was a guy by the name of William Bennett. So if you know him and he said that he said, during the last half-century talk about the 20th century. He said we have made extraordinary progress in Medicine Science and Technology. We have achieved unprecedented levels of wealth and influence, but we have lost something and he said the nation that we live in today is more violent and vulgar or rude and remorseless and depressed. Then the one we once inhabited The popular culture that is often brutal gruesome and enamored with death robs many children of their innocence people, kill other people and themselves, more easily, men and women abandoned each other and their families. More readily in marriage. And the American family is weaker and more unstable, and that was 24 years ago, Things have gotten a lot worse. In 2023, our government there schools, our homes are churches. Have all fallen into unbelief that hennything goes and that guy that if there is a God, he will bless our efforts.

And you have to ask, why? It's because it is the belief of many that we serve a loving and a guy who is all-forgiving an all-inclusive. And that's just not true. We are like a group of people that are running around lost today without a map and we need some Landmark, some fixed points of reference to figure out where we are and where we're going and that's where the Ten Commandments come in.

Now, I'm a little bit of background this morning, as we look at the first commandment. We watch. Are we catch up with Moses and the children of Israel in Exodus chapter 19. And the people have been in the desert for about 3 months now. And the end now, and Exodus chapter 19, they arrived at the mountain in verse 2, They have arrived at the same place where Moses had first been called to go and bring the people out of Egypt. The mount is Sinai. So probably two different names for the same place. And it was we're here that God had promised and exodus 3:12. He says I will be with you. I will certainly be with you and this will be the sign to you, that I am the one who sent you. And when you bring the people out of Egypt, you will all worship God at this mountain. An exodus 19 3. We find that Moses makes his first of many trips up that mountain. And on that mountain, God tells about what he has to tell the children of Israel. In Exodus 19 for he says, you have seen what I did to the Egyptians and how I carried You On Eagle's Wings and brought you to myself. He's reminding the children of Israel. What he has done for them. How he is defeated the Egyptians, how he brought them out of slavery? How he brought them out of bondage of Egypt On Eagle's Wings and he's watched over them. And has brought them this far. And if you are a child of God, this morning, you know, a little bit about what that's like because you were once in bondage of sin yourself. And you were on your way to an eternal hell, but God brought you out of that bondage to faith in the Lord. Jesus Christ and set you on Solid Ground. And he has promised that he will never leave us or forsake us. And we who are children of guys have been blessed with that. Hope that one day because we have put our faith and trust in, in Jesus because we have answered that free gift. We've accepted that free gift of Salvation, that is offered to everyone freely, who will accept it. We have a place in heaven. To spend eternity with our Lord and Savior. Jesus Christ. With those who are at law. Those don't have any hope. If you're here today and you've never accepted Jesus as your lord and savior, you're lost. And on your way to an eternal hell. and those who are lost are grasping at things that they do it don't amount to much they are

But they're looking for it and all the wrong places. And Satan I believe is working harder today than he's ever worked before because he knows it is time ashore.

And now, God tells Israel. That he has set them aside for a special purpose. In Exodus, 19, verses 5 and 6 that says, now if you will listen carefully listened to me and keep my Covenant. You will be my own possession out of all the peoples. Although the whole earth is mine. And you will be my kingdom of priests in my holy nation. And these are the words that you are to say to the Israelites. He says that they are to be a holy nation the word. Holy means to be set apart for a special purpose. A nation of people who are to show, what the difference is in living in a relationship with God. And they are to be a nation who would form a bridge between God and the other nations. And this didn't mean that the other nations were going to be excluded rather to show by their lives. Guy's idea for a nation was to be And by their lives to live in such a way, that it was so attractive that other nations would want what they had. They would want the guy that they served. How are we as Christians supposed to live in this world today? By showing those around us, what it means to be in a relationship with the Living. God. And so, why aren't people being changed today? Why are people coming to know the Lord is our personal Lord and Savior? I think it's because as Christians, we aren't living in a way that people see what it means to be in a relationship with the Living. God. So many times, we have become blenders, the Bible says, come out from, among them and be separate. But the problem is, we don't, we do our best to, to blend with the world. Today, we will become what I've always called, Camellia, Christians, we just go with whatever is going on around us so that we won't stand out. We won't be different.

Only three days later. According to verse number 16, they assemble at the base of the mountain and suddenly the mountain is surrounded by a cloud and there's thunder and lightning and deafening blast with trumpets. And everyone's trembles and Moses is called up into the mountain by God again and God gives him the law.

And included that law or the Ten Commandments sometimes called the law of Moses in our book that were using this week, is a guy that something they say sometimes. It's called the 10 words. We've complicated things, I think my adding to it. But as well, see the Ten Commandments are divided up into part. The first four Commandments talk about man's relationship with God. In the last six Commandments have to do with man's relationship with man. at least commandment show how we are supposed to show our relationships to other one, another of the same Grace and love that God has shown

It's not one single person here today, who deserves the love that God has given us. There's not one single person in this room today who deserves God's salvation

But he gives it to us anyway.

and it's probably, Not a single portion of scripture that is more misunderstood or Target of so much criticism than the Ten Commandments. Probably, one of the most important things that we need to understand today is why the Ten Commandments are important for us today. We taking them down from public displays. We remove them from our courts, we've removed them from our public places. We taking them out of our schools, we taking him out of our libraries and other places I believe it was Miss. Sharon one time that told me that she read one play at 1 somewhere, that the reason why we're getting rid of the Ten Commandments is because leaders are afraid that people might see them. And people might read them and if they read them, they'll get into their hearts. And if they get into their hearts with spirit of God will work and their lives, and lives will be changed. And I believe that's true because God's word is still powerful. Today, it's still sharper than a two. Edged sword. God's word can still change Hearts today. And the question this morning is do the Ten Commandments have any significance for us as Believers today. what Jesus said about the law or Matthew chapter 5, verse 17 and 18, He says, don't think that I have come to abolish the law, or the prophets, I did not come to abolish but to fulfill For truly, I tell you until Heaven and Earth pass away and not the smallest letter. This one, stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished in the word accomplished or fill in some of your translations means, literally to give full meaning. Jesus not only obey, the Ten Commandments, he was a living display of the Ten Commandments.

In what Jesus did was to show that it was not good enough to have a nice set of little rules are right to regulate Our Lives. What we need is to believe or behave in such a way. The others will see what we have. The law was not given so that Israel could have a set of rules to live by her to make themselves acceptable to God. No. The only way to have a right standing with God is still true faith in God. The whole purpose of the law was to reveal to the Israelites, their sinfulness by showing the contrast between the world and a holy God. And Paul tells us in Romans chapter 3 verses 19 and 20 says, now we know that whatever the law says is speaks to those who are subject to the law. So that every miles, maybe shots in the whole world will maybe become subject to God's judgment for. No one will be justified in his sight by The Works of the law because the knowledge of sin comes through the law. Call says that the law does not make anyone right in God's sight. But rather by the law is the knowledge of sin. He's not saying that the law makes us sinners. But that the law reveals our sin, the Lost shows us that we're Sinners when I stand in front of it to do something about it.

We need to remember that the law was given to redeemed people. They'd already been freed from slavery. It was not given an order for to get them out of bondage. They were free because it was by faith, that they applied, the blood of the Lamb, over the door, Post in the mantle of their at their homes. So that when the death Angels pass by, as they were say, they were spared And that was the only way of escaping the Judgment of God, just has the Israelites escape, the Judgment of God, by applying the blood of the sacrifice lamb. You and I escape the Judgment by accepting the sacrifice that Jesus made on the cross of calvary.

And we're not saved by keeping the law. But by applying his blood to our lives through faith. And his complete sacrifice. And where do you use the Ten Commandments as a compass to give us some Direction? God has given his law to let man. Know what is right and wrong. God didn't look down on this Earth One Day Out of Heaven and say I think I'm just going to give these people something.

That wasn't the case at all. God saw that men and women were continually ruining their lives. And they were constantly enslaving themselves to send and its consequences and so he gave us 10 life. Directing principles to help us to live life that would bring order. And if we live them out, it would keep us out of a heap of trouble.

As we began to look at the Commandments, we see that the first commandment tells us that we need to begin by getting our relationship with God. Right? Because of our relationship with God is out of whack. Our whole lives are out of whack. In the first commandment is found over in Exodus chapter 20 verses 1 through 3, it says, then God spoke all these words. And he said, I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt out of the place of slavery. Do not have other gods besides me. The children of Israel were heading to the land of Canaan. But the promised land was populated by pagan, people who is guy has to solve every problem that they had. And God knew that they would be easy, it would be easy for his people to be seduced or pulled in by the Canaanites gods and and all the corrupt worship that went along with all of that. He didn't want to see the people whom he had delivered enslave themselves once again by these false gods and I've said do the years that we all have our idea of what God looks like. We either serve the god of the Bible. Are we serve a guy that doesn't look anything like the god of the Bible? The writer of our book that were using this week is a guy and Kevin DeYoung. he says, if our faith is to be genuine, Christian faith, It must be more than faith in faith. He says, the most important aspect of our faith is not how hard we believe. but in whom we believe, And he says it's possible to be full of sincere worship and worship the wrong God. That's the reason for the first commandment. The god of the Bible is not simply interested in being recognized as a strong and mighty deity. That would not have been a controversial cleaning back of the ancient world. The writer says that he says, lots of people

But what was controversial was that the Israelite God was set apart from other guys because he demanded to be worshipped alone.

As we only got. To the exclusion of all other guys. Israel's God. Our God is a jealous. God. The Bible says, and he will not tolerate the worship of other guys.

And that brings us to the first point.

Worship. God exclusively. The first commandment is based on what the Lord did for the Israelites in Egypt, you save them, he rescued them, he delivered them, he claimed, he had claimed over them. And when God said, I am the Lord, your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, he's just reminding them of all the things that he did to get them out of bondage. The plagues, the death of the firstborn, The Parting of the Red Sea, the drowning of the Army, in the Red Sea, and so on He said, why would you trust any other guys, why would you trust anything out? You didn't Escape Egypt by your own ability, or the fact that Pharaoh was just being kind-hearted. No, it was. I who was your guy that you're one true guy that got you out and saved you from slavery and When God says there shall be no other gods before me. Does that mean that there are other gods? No. There are no other gods but God, we we make our own Gods that we worship. There were gods of the land. They were getting ready to go into but they were man-made gods. In the Bible says, why would you worship?

Why would you worship Satan? Does it have hands but cannot feel and feed. They cannot

You say well that's just stupid. We don't worship gods of stone or wood today but we do worship other things. The writer of the book says that fate of the fault with God's people has always been the little and that we attach to God. The Lord is fine. But we want the Lord and Baal the Lord, and is Shira the Lord, and the Lord, and whatever you want to put in the air. And we're pretty happy to have gotten our lives as long as he only feels part of our life. Few weeks ago, there was a bunch of football players gathered around one of their own. They were calling upon God to bring their friend through this crisis.

But I'm wondering this morning, how many of those same players have put that guy back on the Shelf only to bring them off when there's another crisis that comes along in life?

I'll worship and serve God as long as he doesn't interfere with my Recreation time. I'll worship and serve God as long as he doesn't tell me who I can have in a relationship or what kind of relationship I can have. I'll worship and serve God as long as he doesn't tell me what to do with my career, what to do with my money or what what kind of people to hang around us and in what to do in my spare time?

I'll worship and serve God as long as I get to make the rules to live by and worship. Buy, and Hold On To

Can I say this morning that that's not putting God first?

Putting God first is putting God first and everything that we do. Our careers are relationships, our finances, Our lives, our husbands or wives her family's everything.

And how many of us today are worshipping God. But we're thinking about what we're going to do after we get done here.

How many of us are worshipping God, but we haven't been able to put down the phone long enough because we're so worried about things that are going on in the world that we might just miss. So so we are to worship God. And God Alone. and where to put God first in everything we do and to put God, first means where the sun idolatry

And it's silly today to think of idolatry after all that something that they, they had back in Bible days if that's something that goes on and and in places that are uncivilized, that's not here in the United States. but the truth is, I swear just as guilty today of having Idols in our lives, you would have thought that after God had brought the children of Israel out of slavery in Egypt, that they would have never gone back to idles, but but they did so many times time and time again, they went back to the following other Idols other gods of the land.

And sadly. The same forces that work back in those days that made idolatry, attractive are still with us today. Calling us in. Prodding us just the trust something or someone else along with the one and true God.

And after all, it just makes sense. Trash, my little mind. Later on in Exodus while Moses was up on the the mountains, not long after guy that brought them out of Egypt, not long after God, had brought them through the Red Sea and drowned the army.

People of Israel are getting a little frustrated.

Everyone else has gods that they can see. Back in the Egypt. The people had gods that they could see Moses had been up on the mountain for quite a while. We don't even know if he's coming back.

So they demand Aaron to do something about it and so Aaron tells all the people to bring the Melting Pot in and out, pops this calf Cuz what he said.

They were happy. They had a God now that they can see, they can feel, they could touch the guy that was going to leave their way and so they celebrated like they never celebrated before.

And we do that today.

We want a guy that we can go to in crisis situations and he'll show up to meet her needs.

And then when the crisis is it down will just put it back on the Shelf. Like we talked about it a minute ago.

We want a guy that we can promise to do something good for him and then tear and he'll do something good for us.

We want a God who allows us to come and bring our offerings to him and do I religious duties as long as there are things that we enjoy doing.

Then the rest of the week, we can do whatever we want. Without consequence of obligation. We want a guide who is convenient? The guide will awaken worship him in our own time and are all the way is that are old style. A guide where we can worship just as well at home watching, him on the internet, they're out in the cabin in the woods or are sitting in the pews someplace. And worshipping together.

We want a God who values our values and supports. What are heart's desires. No matter if it's immoral or unethical or downright sinful,

After all, we need a guide who changes with the time.

And it's not hard to see why adultery was so attractive and why Israel was constantly, tempted to adopt the same practices of the people of the land. The religion of the world is guaranteed, it's selfish, it's easy, it's convenient, it's normal, it's pleasing, it's satisfying, its of ratify.

And it was a religious system made by man. Format.

And that's what's happening. So often today, Are Idols look a little different than they did in the Old Testament. But they're the same but they just have different names. The idols of sex. The idol of, he's the idol of convenience. The idols that cater to all the desires of our heart.

and all the time, we keep telling ourselves God understands He knows why we're doing what we're doing.

And he'll make exceptions.

And all the while we're just fooling ourselves because one of the attributes of God is he is a holy God.

God, hates sin.

And God doesn't tolerate sin.

And got us the same today as he was at the beginning.

and we saw it early in the Bible with Adam and Eve with Cain and Abel with Noah and the floods of the Tower of Babel, the side of him tomorrow and on and on we could go God, doesn't tolerate sin and he doesn't tolerate sinful people.

God is a god of love. God is a guide. Who is patient? God is a God who is long-suffering toward us. God is a forgiving God. but God is a holy and just got There's a lot of folks today who are being deceived because they're not worshiping the god of the Bible. A lot of folks. Today, we're going to spend a whole eternity in hell because they were worshiping and following the God of this world. And not the one true God.

But it doesn't have to be that way. Because Jesus came to pay the penalty for our sins. God, so loved the world. That he gave his only begotten. Son, that whosoever believes in him. Will not perish, but have everlasting life.

And that salvation in a sentence. That's the entire gospel wrapped up in just a few words.

Which brings me to my last Point really fast. Turn to Christ exclusively. I'm going to quote, pretty much from the book here.

Cuz we're going to see this week as we study the, the Ten Commandments. The first commandment, like all the other Commandments is transformed by the coming of Christ.

My transform. What does it mean? That God says these Commandments. Don't apply to us anymore, but the way they apply, and the way that we obey them does change, And we can think of the first commandment in relationship to Christ. As I talk of two mountains are right. It says, God came down on Mount Sinai and he says, worship me alone. The nearest later. He came down on the Mount of transfiguration.

Listen to him.

And it's amazing that guy who said worship me listen to my rules, now tells us to listen to his son.

And on the other side of the Incarnation, on the other side of Jesus coming down to this earth and living a settling this life to die on the cross of Calvary, for our sins, to conquer death by rising from the grave. The first commandment means giving Christ the worship that he deserves.

He is the one mediator between God and man. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature. He is the one before whom every knee will bow and worship. The Bible says, one of these days every knee will bow and every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

and this Jesus himself says, if you had known me, you would have known my father also from now on, you do know him and have seen him. in other words, Jesus has the audacity to say if you know me, you know God And if you follow me, love me and worship me and worship guy. When you see me, you have seen God In The Flash.

And a patient's of all this is that if you don't know God in Christ, you don't really know God at all.

The first commandment can no longer be properly obeyed unless we worship the one who alone shows us the one true God.

It isn't enough to use the word God or to belong to a monotheistic religion.

We're not worshipping, the one true God, unless we're worshiping the God, and father of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ. The coming of Christ is changed everything.

and can I tell you this morning if you don't know Jesus, as your personal savior You don't have a relationship with God. And you're heading to an eternal hell.

But you can't have a relationship. If you just ask him to forgive you of your sins, I'm coming to your heart and live. And you can do that today.

Because the Bible said, whosoever will. But don't come. Let's pray. My father, Lord, thank you for this day that you've given us there. We thank you for this message that you've given like, it was

just a reminder of Who You Are.

And how awesome you are.

And Lord. I just pray today.

That wherever we go, and whatever we do. That will put you first.

And make you Lord Of Our Lives. All right, I just pray that you'll take this invitation time and use it and bless it. And we ask this in Jesus name, we give you praise for it, we ask this in Jesus name. Amen that's all standing.